


Processing Emotion

by gee_oh_wilkers



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Partners to Lovers, RK800 - Freeform, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, i swear eventually they will get down and do the nasty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 12:34:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17203505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gee_oh_wilkers/pseuds/gee_oh_wilkers
Summary: "...I don't know what to say; that is not in my programming."Androids are created for the sole purpose of one thing: to obey commands given by their masters. Some androids face abuse by humans and their owners, while others are neglected and rot away in wastelands. It was up to you, Lieutenant, to find out if the humans were the true criminals, or if it was the androids. Luckily though, all this responsibility wasn't put on you and only you-- you were assigned an android trained and programmed to excel in cases. Although as time with you and your android progresses, you begin to realize one thing: he is becoming more human than ever.





	1. My Name is Connor

You stumbled into your office, trying to juggle the bunches of papers in your hands. This was a typical day in the police department for you. You woke up at about 7:00 am sharp every morning, followed with a quick shower, quickly slipping on an outfit you pre-planned the day before, and out the door you went. The streets were crowded with androids already, starting their long day of work. Seeing the sight only filled you with despair, knowing that androids would soon be filling your day of work as well. They were everywhere-- even if you wanted to, you couldn't get away from them.

The office had only three employees inside so far, not including the android clerks at the front desk. Your boss hadn't even arrived yet, and that was just how you liked it. You carefully placed your papers on the small work space you had, and plopped down onto your office chair. You peered around, giving special attention to the cafeteria. Looking a bit closer, you noticed the coffee station was fully stocked-- including doughnuts. You nearly flung yourself out of your chair, and raced over to the box. Only two doughnuts were missing from the initial twelve, giving you quite the selection.

'...Strawberry glaze...chocolate...custard filled...jelly filled...' you thought to yourself quietly, deciding if you could control yourself to take no more than two. You left the doughnut box in shambles as you quickly turned around with four on a small napkin. You then bumped directly into a tall man, sending your fine selection to the floor. "My doughnuts!" You yelled frantically, dropping to your knees as if the five-second rule existed. "I wouldn't eat those if I were you," the tall man commented analytically. You looked up, fury in your eyes, until you remembered you were at work and fighting a person over desserts would be unprofessional. Except, this wasn't a person; this was an android. 

"My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife."

You awkwardly brought yourself up from the ground, your dirtied doughnuts in the palms of your hand. "Hi," you said shortly, walking towards the trashcan, releasing the four beauties from your fingertips and into the abyss of waste. "The company has allocated a specialized model to assist investigators." You turned around slowly, grieving over your sweet loss. "That's alright I won't need your help, but thank you, Connor. " You then went back to the box, looking at the lack of a selection now. You could choose from a chocolate glaze, a classic glaze, or jelly filled. The pickings were slim, so you end up taking two this time. It was better for your health, anyway.   
  
"You have several untouched cases, Lieutenant L/N. I will be able to assist you and complete the tasks," the android persisted, stepping beside you. You weren't too interested in the idea of having an android on the job with you, especially considering the cases you have been given dealt with android deviants. For all you knew, this 'Connor' could be on the deviants' sides. "I really, don't think its a good idea for you to work with me, if I'm honest. I'm not sure if you looked at the cases, but they are strictly about androids. I don't want biased information."

His brows furrowed, creating a stern expression. "I am an android created purely to find out what creates deviants. I am a prototype, which means I am different from the other androids. Being a deviant is not in my programming." You laughed quietly, and made an a-line to your desk, "its not in anyone's programming." 

You and your two doughnuts made it safely to your desk this time. You looked at the daunting stack of files, but disregarded them and sat down. Once you were situated, you tapped on the desk parallel to your's. "Take a seat, partner. We've got work to do." Connor sat down in the empty space, looking at you blankly. "We will be working with each other, should we get to know each other?" You couldn't help but chuckle at his silly outburst, "you usually don't announce that... but sure. What would you like to know? I'm sure you looked me up before you got here."

"Well, I know that you have a moderately clean record--" you smiled proudly and then leaned in to listen about all your great achievements, "--and you struggle with meeting deadlines", you then frowned at him. You already had a bad taste for androids, and this only strengthened it. As you fiddled with your pages you could see that from the corner of your eye, you watched the blue LED on the right side of his face turn yellow. He was looking at your desk, almost as if he was analyzing you and your mess. "Have you been sleeping well lately?" 

"What the-- Connor, what kind of question is that?" You sighed, and handed over the files to his side of the tabletop. "Start looking at these, we have a long day ahead of us." He then carefully took the papers into his hand, "are these files on the terminal?" You nodded, and continued reading one of the cases. "I don't like those things, but go ahead if you're more comfortable with that." He turned on the monitor with ease, and then scrolled through all the cases. "243 files, the first one dates back to nine months." "Yep, all those are deviants," you sighed quietly, then displayed three files on your desk, "but these are the only ones we are interested in today." Connor's light then flashed yellow, until he looked at you and slid the middle folder closer to you. "This deviant is an AX400--"

"Like you?"

"No, I am an RK800 model; a prototype." Connor's light returned to blue, "it assaulted a man last night and was last seen in the Ravendale district, I believe we will have a good starting point for our investigation there."

"Well aren't you a bloodhound, you found that information fast. I guess we are headed to Ravendale then, call a taxi."


	2. Rainy, Detroit Day

The two of you quietly sat in the automated vehicle, waiting to arrive at your destination. "Connor," you asked out of boredom, "how far are we from Ravendale?" He calculated for only a second and then responded, "nine minutes and 23 seconds away." You nodded, and watched the cars go by. As you were looking out the window, you decided to ask again, "Connor, how far are we now?" He was briefly quiet, seeming to determine whether this was a joke now or a serious question. "Eight minutes and 48 seconds away, will that be all, Liutenant?" You chuckled into the palm of your hand, and nodded, "yes that will be-- oh wait, Connor, I have a question." This time, he turned to you fully in his seat, obviously intrigued by your wondering. "Yes?", his scratchy low voice responded.

"How far are we from Ravendale?"

He looked directly into your eyes, and then turned completely in the opposite direction, staring intently through the window. He chose not to respond to your question, which was fine considering you had roughly eight minutes and 48 seconds to bother him.

You both were watching the world go by through the car's windows. From inside, the world had such a different perspective. It was warm inside the car; almost welcoming to an extent. Something about two strangers sitting side by side in such a small area felt intimate, and yet so complex at the same time. You were from a different path of life, made from flesh to flesh, created for an unknown purpose. He, however, was much like the outside of the cab. Cold to the touch, cloudy like the sky, and so  _damn_  unpredictable. Connor seemed to know something you didn't, he seemed to hold the world inside of himself. A storm was coming, but he wouldn't tell you when. He was the unpredictable, rainy Detroit days.

The storm clouds rolled over the taxi cab, shedding tears all over the exterior metal. You watched the droplets race against the windshield, one would take the lead until branching off into several new beads of water. Puddles began to fill the street, creating a mirror of the surrounding world. They would beam bright reds and yellows, so calmly until the tires rushed through and create a hurricane of mischief. No longer would the raindrops bounce against the glassy water; they were too focused on rebuilding their destroyed homes of rain.

"Connor, I--"

"Four minutes, 39 seconds away."

"I wasn't going to ask that, but thank you. I was just curious, how do you feel about deviants from the perspective of an Android?"

You peered over, watching his reflection on the mirror. The blue LED switched suddenly to a pulsating yellow, he was processing the information. "Deviants are Androids who strayed away from their original purpose. There is an error in their software, which must be fixed."

You furrowed your eyebrows in disbelief. Somehow, he didn't even acknowledge that the deviants were once Androids like himself. He acted as if they were a completely different species. "But," you couldn't resist but to question his logic, "don't you know that you're an Android? It's possible for you to become a deviant as well, isn't it?"

"I am  _not_  a deviant, nor I will never be. A prototype does not have the ability to become deviant." You could hear the strain in Connor's voice, he was clearly becoming more upset with you bringing it up. It was only natural for you to ask questions though, if anything, he had to understand that.

The taxi then came to a slow, rolling stop in front of a convenience store. "So, this is it?" You asked him, watching him stare forward. You then tapped his knee with your index finger, trying to get a reaction out of him. He wouldn't even look at you, let alone notice that your hand was on his leg. Was he really that upset that you were questioning him?

"Hey," you softly told him, now holding onto his shoulder with your right hand, "I didn't mean to upset you by asking all that...I was just curious. I'm sorry." Suddenly, his neck snapped to look over at you, "I'm sending a report to CyberLife." You drew your hands back immediately, almost in disgust. "H-how? You're not even talking!"

"I don't need to talk."

You tried to distinguish whether he was trying to make fun of your need to have small talk, or if that was just a blatant fact. You continued to watch him stare out into the world, and study the way his once human looking eyes would suddenly glaze over as if he was shut down temporarily. You didn't even bother to try and understand technology, it just wasn't worth it.

You left the car with a loud slam of the door, partially hoping to interrupt Connor's report. Your eyes were nearly blinded by the store's neon lights, they even outshined the twinkling raindrops. Standing below the awning was your fellow detective, Ben Collins. "Mornin', Ben," you chirped, trying to raise spirits in the dreary atmosphere. "Well, don't you sound happy to be at a crime scene!" He laughed, until realizing the victim of the theft was standing right beside him. "Right. So, an Android was caught on the CCTV cameras stealing fifty dollars. She had a little girl with her, too." The victim nodded, and then went back inside his store, crossing his arms furiously.

"What are you gonna do with that?" Ben asked, nodding in the direction of Connor, who was still inside the car staring off into space. You shrugged, and watched the rain drip down onto the puddle right below your feet. "Hell if I know," Connor then got out of the car walking towards you, "but he seems to have better ideas." Ben then jolted back a bit, surprised by your own words, before entering the store. " _He?_  It's an Android, Y/N. Treat it like one."

Connor stood there with you, unphased by Ben's words. You looked down, sliding your foot in the dirty sidewalk puddle. You didn't even realize you were calling Connor a 'he' all this time until Ben brought it to your attention. Connor then scanned the area, not even focusing on what had just happened. "They were traveling by foot, so they must have not gone far."

"They...you said 'they'. Were you listening to our conversation? How else would you have known about the little girl?"

"I can hear sounds regardless of structures dividing me and the subject."

"...so, you heard all of that?"

Connor nodded, "yes."

You almost shivered at Connor's cold response, there was absolutely no emotion. You replayed what detective Collins had said in your mind. After all, he was right. Connor is an Android, it has no emotions and how could you expect it to? It was as cold as a rainy Detroit day.

Dull and lifeless.


	3. It

Connor went inside the convenience store before you, probably due to the awkward tension. You weren't sure if It would be upset by you changing their pronouns like that. You couldn't address Connor as a "him" though; that wasn't who It was. Connor was a machine, built to provide unbiased information and assistance for investigations. Calling It a "he" would be the same thing as calling It a human. You couldn't show any bias in your investigations, regardless of how uncomfortable it made you feel.

You felt like an idiot calling the Android a "he" in front of Ben. You could feel your cheeks rise in reds, wondering if he'd report you to Captain Fowler about your possible bias. Connor came out only a few minutes after, pointing at several different directions. "The CCTV footage also shows the deviant stealing a pair of wire cutters. The deviant was with a small child, so I assume they were trying to find shelter. We need to work fast, they might still be here."

You nodded, and went to the first direction Connor had pointed to, an old abandoned house. It seemed like a probable option, considering the young girl would most likely prefer a house rather than the streets for a night. That also brought the possibility of the nearby motel, but it was strictly for humans only. It was worth a shot anyway.

A wire fence blocked your ability to get inside, but luckily a large opening was at the front. You got through with ease, and stepped into the property. The grass was all yellowed and stale, barely resembling what grass actually looks like. The structure of the house was breaking at the seams, showing the bare makings of it's original foundation. The brick siding was clearly damaged by all the rain; in no way was this house the least bit welcoming.

You didn't bother knocking on the door, and jiggled the knob. "Shit," you groaned as you pulled and tugged, "it's stuck." You then heard rummaging in the house, almost as if someone was in a hurry. "Connor," you called over your walkie talkie, "I think I have a lead. Come to the house." "Understood, I'm on my way." You continued to fuss over the door knob, until finally it gave in and opened.

The walls were dusted with yellow, and covered in graffiti. Furniture was scattered all over; it looked as if a person had literally flipped the house upside down. As you looked around, you realized an Android stood properly infront of a set dinner table for three. In comparison to the rest of the house, the table looked as if the Android had just set the plates and dead animal down. One plate would make sense, but two extra plates raised your suspicions.

The Android was clearly a deviant, with a giant burn mark across the left side of it's face. It was twitching nervously, and focused on looking down. You knew if you wanted to get out any information, you had to make It comfortable first. "What's your name?"

"...Ralph," It croaked out in a high pitch, "Ralph."

You looked at It, with no intention of peeling your eyes away. You knew that even with the slightest movement, It could try to hurt you. The large knife on the dinner table wasn't exactly comforting you either. "Have you seen any other Androids here, Ralph?"

"...Androids?" It twitched once more, in the direction of the staircase. "...no. Ralph is alone." You nodded cautiously, and paced away slowly. "Okay, well Ralph would you mind if I take a look around?" It was a rhetorical question of course, you were going to investigate regardless of It's answer. Slowly, as if delicately picking out a response, Ralph responded, "... No need. Ralph did nothing wrong."

You nodded and walked around the house, looking for any hiding spots. "I know you didn't, but I need to just make sure. It's my job." You looked up the stairs, "did you have a job?" From the corner of your eye you watched the Android nod quickly, "Ralph gardens."

"Huh," you said calmly, no peering below the stairs, hoping to gain more of his trust, "I never could get into gardening--" when suddenly Ralph wrapped It's arms around you, pulling you away from the steps.

"Run, quick Kara!" It yelled, as you watched the deviant and the young girl escape the room. Violently, the Android threw you onto the hard wood stairs and dashed into the opposite corner of the room with both hands raised. Your vision got slightly fuzzy until you saw the front door peer open, and a tall man race over to you. He wrapped his one arm around your back and his hand around your head, carefully escorting you up. "That way, It went that way!" You continued to yell, trying to regain your vision and your balance.

Once you were up right, you watched the tall figure leave the room, yelling, "call it in!" You scrunched your eyes and realized who's voice that was... It was Connor's. He didn't focus on the deviant at all, he was more focused on you. You were shocked to think that possibly he did have emotions, and really wasn't a machine after all.

You rushed through the front door, yelling to your team about the deviant. Like a parade, they all flooded over to possible locations It could have gone next. Then, racing across the street was Connor, running towards the bus stop. You were no match for his speed, but you did your best to catch up to him.

You both ended up meeting at another gated fence, watching the deviant and the child stand to the side of the highway. "That's," you swallowed a large gulp of air, "that's insane. They're gonna die." Connor however, seemed to have a different plan. He was eagerly gripping onto the fence, bouncing slightly as if he was planning on climbing it. "I can't let them get away," he said impatiently. You then took him by the shoulder, trying to push him back down. "No. No way that's happening, it's too risky, they'll never make it--"

"I can't take that chance!" He argued, and climbed up the fence. "Hey, hey!" You yelled, punching the fence in anger. "You're going to get killed!" Connor however had no intention on listening to your nagging, and followed them through the traffic while you eagerly held onto the wire. You watched as the cars sped by him, one nearly taking off his leg. "Connor, please just-- just turn back!" You yelled out, not sure if he'd be able to even hear you. With one quick leap, Connor tackled the deviant between two lanes of traffic. They both were pushing each other closer to the edge of the cars, until the deviant did one final push and threw him directly in front of a car. You gripped onto the fence with all your might, hoping he wouldn't die.

"God, Connor!" You yelled out, and watched him scurry away into the next lane of traffic before safely getting to the median. The deviant and the girl we're both gone from sight, vanishing like a magic trick. You were too focused on Connor to even get a glimpse of where they went. You turned around, and went back to the street, not being able to watch him nearly kill himself trying to get over to the other side again.

 


	4. Keep Me Company, Will You?

You were at your favorite diner on the wet Tuesday, watching cars swim through the river like streets. It was about 5:00pm, which gave you high hopes that today there would be no call in's. It was rare, no doubt, but the possibility of having the day off still gave you butterflies. You listened to the quiet sounds of people mumbling, and the low humming of static coming from the TV behind the front counter.

The diner was really everything a diner  _could_ be. It had a very old, nostalgic feeling to it. The worn, red cushions on the seats that surrounded the counter and windows, then the booths with their ripped leather caused by kids poking at it with pens. The faded yellow tiles, and the grime between each stone. The diner had been there since the 1950s which was really almost a century ago; give or take a decade. The fact that the small business stayed as a 50s styled diner was too impressive for it not to be your favorite restaurant.

Even the sweet sound of the bells clanging against each other when the front door was open filled you with bliss, until you realized who was coming in. "God damnit," you groaned into your plate of food, trying to disappear from the Android's sight. "Lieutenant!" Connor yelled cheerfully, and trotted over to you. "I was told I could find you here, I'm glad I did." You shook your head, trying to ignore him as he sat across from you in the booth.

"Shouldn't you be dead?"

"Depending on how injured I am, CyberLife will replace me with another RK800."

"I cannot believe you. What were you thinking?!" You asked Connor, yelling aggressively. "I'm a machine, I will be rebooted or replaced so my actions that could result in fatality do not necessarily affect me" he said calmly, as if the fact of death didn't bother him. You laughed sarcastically, trying to hide that you were actually hurt by his distance. You didn't really know him that well, but you knew if you lost another member of the department you'd be hurt.

"You just," you sighed, running a hand through your hair, "you don't get it do you? I don't want you to die, regardless of you being an Android or not." You slumped in your seat, trying to make yourself disappear. You hated confrontation, especially when you were the one confronting. He thought carefully of a response, not really sure what to say.

"I didn't know you cared about Androids."

You looked up, and shook your head. "It's not that I care for them, I just don't want to lose another partner. I... I really just don't want to talk about it." You crossed your arms insecurely, trying to comfort yourself. "Oh," Connor whispered, looking away from you and to the ground. "I didn't know." He went quiet suddenly, almost as if he felt something... something he wasn't programmed for. He took a deep breath, looking down at his feet, feeling a sense of tension, until he muttered, "I'm sorry for your loss." You sighed and shrugged your shoulders, looking away from him. "I don't want to talk about it."

You fiddled with your fork, swirling the food around and around in each prong. "May I ask something, Lieutenant?" You slowly allowed your eyes to meet his, not sure if you really wanted to be asked anything anymore with the resurfaced grief you were experiencing. Connor took your slight eye contact as a reply, and continued, "does the death of your previous investigation partner involve your hatred for technology?"

"That's very personal, I would like to stop talking about this now."

The brunette's eyes darted from you, to the table, to your busy fingers, then redoing the full process over again. You watched how his eyes slowly closed then opened, and how long his eyelashes were. He was oddly beautiful in an average kind of way. His soft features would clash with his angular nose and sharp jaw, balancing each other out like fire and ice. His perfectly placed freckles made his face gleam with a warm radiance, sending an overall welcoming feeling to everyone he met. If it weren't for being an Android, you were pretty sure you'd have fallen for him by now.

"Do you have any questions about me?" He asked, hoping to fill the awkward tension. You nodded, now leaning your fork toward him. "Why do you look like that? Aren't you supposed to be a normal looking person, not so-- you know..."

"It makes me more approachable, I was designed specifically for that purpose."

"I mean, they did a good job, no complaints there." You muttered, realizing that you made it sound as if you were attracted to him, which you  _very_ clearly were not. Not even in the slightest. At all. Thats just ridiculous to even say. Your face, however, began to storm into violent shades of red as you stumbled around different ways to change what you had said. "If I were an Android I mean-- wait no... If I..." You quietly mumbled into an abyss of 'uh's, grasping at actual phrases but failing at saying any.

Connor nodded confidently, and smiled. "I suppose CyberLife did it's job then." You looked at him, realizing this was the first time he had ever smiled in front of you. You couldn't help but smile back, and feel your cheeks rise in color once again.

As you cleared your throat, you asked abruptly, "why are you here, anyway?", desperately trying to change the subject. "Well, we have another investigation to do, and I'm here to take you there." You nodded, sternly looking at the Android, implying for him to continue. "I received a report about an Android nearby, I think we should take a look." You sighed, and looked down at your barely-touched food. "But, I'll let you finish your meal. I'll be in the car if you need me."

You watched him begin to slide out if the seat until you grabbed his hand, "wait. You can sit here if you like." You felt your cheeks rise in heat, darting your eyes away from his own. "I... I know it's cold out there. No point in being chilly when you can be inside and stay warm." He processed what you had said, and looked out the window. "I can turn the heat on in the--"

"Keep me company, will you?"

His soft, pale skin turned pink on the peaks of his face. He carefully slide back inside the seat, and avoided looking at you showing you his now yellow LED light. "Yeah," the corners of his mouth began to curve upward, "I can do that.“

 


End file.
